katrinab

Terrific ending with Albert picking up Petersons brother and giving him some attention. This was a no lose situation for Albert in that he made fans happy to see him out there competing and came really close to being in the finals after three incredibly disappointing seasons for him.
 
Well done Pujols, you represented the team with class.

I apologize if my emotional response to this situation doesn't match yours.  
 
I am pretty sure there wasn't one response in this thread that mentioned not being a fan of the Angels anymore.  
 
Some of us enjoy more than what Erick Aybar does at the plate on a Wednesday or whether Santiago throws 6 innings instead of 5. 
 
Nice underplay with 'gm change' btw.  That really sells your point.  
 
To some of us it's an unfortunate shift in the philosophy of the organization.  One that many were pleased to have as part of the past.  
 
In the grand scheme of things, none of this is really all that big of a deal.  It's just baseball.  But here we are.  Many of us pretty regularly investing our time, money and effort into following our team.  
 
Don't worry about it though, I slept like Mike Butcher last night and I will again tonight.  Just post a pic of your view from way up there.  

why believe everything you read? everyone has a take on this and its all speculation at this point
 
i for one am tired of reading all of this crap. Dipoto resigned for reasons unknown, and everything is being taken out of context
 
unless you are in that clubhouse,  no one for sure knows how things are done in there

why believe everything you read? everyone has a take on this and its all speculation at this point
 
i for one am tired of reading all of this crap. Dipoto resigned for reasons unknown, and everything is being taken out of context
 
unless you are in that clubhouse,  no one for sure knows how things are done in there

why believe everything you read? everyone has a take on this and its all speculation at this point
 
i for one am tired of reading all of this crap. Dipoto resigned for reasons unknown, and everything is being taken out of context
 
unless you are in that clubhouse,  no one for sure knows how things are done in there

I am optomistic. It will be the first season where he comes into spring training healthy and not rehabbing from injuries. Im excited to see how he does in 2015

i care
 
same as i did when Carew got his 3.000th hit, Sutton got his 300th win , Reggie got his
500th home run, etc
 
none of those players had their best years as an Angel and none of those players won a
World Series while they were here

I enjoy watching Pujols play, he is very intense.  He's a great player, and a great human being off the field.  Unfortunately there are few like him in today's game.  Hopefully, when Trout is Albert's age he is playing at the same level, and we can say the same about what a great person he is.  

i think its like others have said, when you drop gluten you stop eating a ton of stuff that is bad for you and you feel better, and not to mention almost everything we buy at the stores is so chock full of preservatives and chemicals and that is why everyone feels bad
i don't have gluten intolerance, but i started eating bread made sprouted grains, gave up sugar for the most part and dropped all processed foods and feel so much better than before

By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
 
Over the years, I've learned a couple of things from my experiences with the law. First, the best justice is the justice that one makes for one’s self. It’s far better to find your own solution to a problem than to rely on a judge to make one for you. Second, when millionaires and billionaires fight it out, the only ones who truly win are the lawyers who will always get paid. Third, contracts are like marriages—once you become a part of one, breaking it up gets nasty and ugly—fast. Nothing could prove these points more than the litigation between the Angels and the city of Anaheim over the years.
 
So, like it or not, the Angels and Josh Hamilton are stuck with each other. As a fan, I see right on both sides of the divide. Mr. Moreno invested a lot of money in Hamilton to bring a talented and marketable player to organization. By doing what he did this offseason, Hamilton completely undercut the ability for the team to market him as a player (regardless of his performance over the past two years). Furthermore, by getting off without any punishment on a technicality, he set a bad precedent that says if one confesses to a drug violation before getting caught, he will not suffer any consequences. That’s not just bad for the Angels—it’s bad for all of baseball. 
 
Hamilton’s actions this offseason placed the Angels in a Catch-22 situation. If they welcomed him back as a player, a strong segment of the fan base would be upset with the organization because it says that athletes, particularly expensive ones, can get away with anything. If they shunned him, as they have, a strong segment of the fan base would be upset with the organization for not being compassionate towards Hamilton, the man. Either way, because of Hamilton’s actions this offseason, the Angels were forced into a situation where they’d offend a strong segment of their fan base. Mr. Moreno had every right to be upset for being placed in that predicament.
 
Looking at this issue objectively, there is right on both sides of this dispute. As a father, I have a 7-year old son named Josh whose favorite player is Hamilton because they share the same first name. How am I supposed to explain this whole mess to my son? How do I tell my son that doing drugs is wrong when he sees that Hamilton suffers no consequences for doing illegal drugs? No matter how I explain, there is the explicit message that with enough lawyers and money, a player can get away with an illegal act. That’s not a lesson I want my son to learn.
 
At the same time, though, I am a teacher, and have worked with thousands of drug addicted students. I know that addiction is something that never goes away and that addicts don’t really have complete free will when it comes to their substance of choice. They can—and will—fall off the wagon at any point. Highly stressful events, such as filing for divorce, can easily trigger them to relapse. The only truly decision of free will happened long ago when he made the choice to take his first illegal drug—but that ship has long since sailed. Every decision since then has been based on limited free will due to his addiction. While he should be still accountable for taking illegal drugs this offseason, no one can say that he had 100% control when he relapsed.  
 
Having met Hamilton, I like him as a person. He’s a nice man. As far as I know, he’s not evil or malicious such that he doesn’t deserve some sympathy and compassion. I don’t wish ill-will on him; rather, I’d like to see him return to form and power the team to the playoffs. Most of his teammates have publicly supported him, and would like to see him back. 
 
So how do we break this impasse?
 
As I think about it, I am guided by the principles that form the basis of 12-Steps in Narcotics Anonymous. In particular, I’d like to focus on three of them:
 
Step 8:
 
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
 
Step 9:
 
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
 
Step 12:
 
Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
 
Using these as a foundation, I believe that there is a solution for bringing Josh Hamilton back to the Angels.
 
Hamilton’s list for all persons that he harmed has to include the Angels organization, all Angels fans, and all of baseball. That means he needs to make amends to all of them.
 
I’m going to take Mr. Moreno at his word that his disagreement with Josh Hamilton isn’t about the money. It’s about the trust that Mr. Moreno invested in Hamilton before signing him to such a large contract. Hamilton broke that trust, and in so doing, become a public relations disaster for the team. More importantly, Hamilton, who claimed to be very humble and Christian has not engaged in any act of contrition. His first (and so far only public act) has been to lawyer-up and fight issues on a technicality. That’s not the man that Mr. Moreno met and persuaded to sign with the club. Hamilton’s actions since February do not match the man the Angels were proud to introduce at a press conference. His public actions to date have been to protect his contract and money, not to protect his health or his public image.
 
So, to that end, I believe that Hamilton should donate half of his salary for this year to charities that the Angels organization supports. Mr. Moreno shouldn’t get the money back because he took that risk by signing Hamilton. However, Hamilton shouldn’t get the money either because he would have at least received an 80-game suspension from MLB had the arbitrator ruled that Hamilton broke the drug policy of the CBA. Donating the $12.5 million for his 80-games would send a strong message of commitment to regaining the trust that has been lost and would be a huge act of contrition on his part. 
 
By giving the money to Angels related charities, such as the Angels Foundation, Angels RBI, the Miracle League, 65 Roses, etc., Hamilton would make amends to the organization by restoring the organization’s image with the public. Hamilton should either make these donations anonymously (even if we all know who did it) or in the name of the Angels so that it is clear that Hamilton is not seeking any glory or publicity from his actions.
 
Next, Hamilton needs to publicly apologize to all the fans. He needs to take out full-page ads in all the area newspapers asking for our forgiveness. He needs to give a very humble press conference where all the questions are asked and answered. He needs to interact with fans and understand that many will be upset with him for what he did. As a Christian, he will need to turn the other cheek when he’s heckled and booed. It’s unfortunate, but some people out there will never forgive him, no matter what he does. But, that is a consequence for the choices he made.
 
Finally, Hamilton has to make amends to all of baseball. It’s not right that Hamilton got off without any consequence because he confessed to doing drugs before getting caught on a urine test and other players have gotten 80-game suspensions for getting caught without confessing. This is a loophole that will only get exploited over the years to the point of costing the game more through negative public images lost fans. 
 
To make amends to the sport, Hamilton needs to publicly call upon his agent to work with the Player’s Association and the Owners to draft new language in the next CBA to address this specific loophole. A person who confesses to using an illegal or banned substance should still receive a punishment for violating the drug bans. However, I do believe that it is better to get players to admit their wrongs rather than waiting until they are caught, so, I would be willing to see the punishment slightly less for confessing rather than for those who try and beat the system. Hamilton should publicly declare that he should be the first, last, and only player to ever get off on this type of loop hole.
 
Why would Hamilton publicly advocate this? Because, as step 12 states, he needs to carry this message forward to other addicts. Hamilton is not the only addict in all of baseball. By publicly calling for this specific change to the CBA, Hamilton will help all other addicts come to see the errors of their ways. Failing to do this leaves the dangerous precedent out there for all addicts to see, and, will prevent Hamilton from ever returning to a state where he can get only with his life and his addiction. More importantly, it will continue to hurt other addicts, who will think that they can beat the consequences of their actions rather than dealing with the issues of their addiction. A truly recovered person would never want to help inspire other addicts to continue to use.
 
If Hamilton does all of this, Mr. Moreno and the Angels should welcome him back to the team. More importantly, we, as fans should welcome him back as well. I know I would.
 
For his sake, and so that he can get back to dealing with his addiction from a position of strength, I hope he does it.

Another nice win. 2-1 is a great start. I'm ready for the flag and flyover on Friday. LTBU

Just started catching up on this seasons The Americans. If you haven't watched it from the beginning...you should.

Josh is going to serve a short (shorter than expected) suspension and the team will welcome him back with open arms and love him dearly.
Josh will then come out and absolutely rake this year.
 
Celebration ensues

cant believe some of the stuff i am reading on here
 
how about before we condemn we wait to hear what is going on
 
hope Josh is okay and if it s a relapse, i hope he gets the help he needs

I'm going to take off my Angels fan hat for a second. I'm rooting for him to eventually overcome his addiction, he has a beautiful family, and I hope he can be the husband and father they deserve.
 
I give him props for fessing up to MLB, and if its true that it wasn't due to a failed drug test but he was proactive about it, more respect from me.
 
I'm rooting for Josh hamilton the person to succeed through this.

cant believe some of the stuff i am reading on here
 
how about before we condemn we wait to hear what is going on
 
hope Josh is okay and if it s a relapse, i hope he gets the help he needs

cant believe some of the stuff i am reading on here
 
how about before we condemn we wait to hear what is going on
 
hope Josh is okay and if it s a relapse, i hope he gets the help he needs

cant believe some of the stuff i am reading on here
 
how about before we condemn we wait to hear what is going on
 
hope Josh is okay and if it s a relapse, i hope he gets the help he needs

2009 ALCS vs yankees mathis with the walkoff double. He was on fire that series

‏@Alden_Gonzalez  2m2 minutes ago Matt Shoemaker & his wife, Danielle, had first child this morning. Son, Brady, born at 6 pounds, 8 ounces. Few weeks early, but healthy.
 
@Alden_Gonzalez  2m2 minutes ago Matt Shoemaker’s agent, Fred Wray, on the couple’s new son: “He has a five o’clock shadow already.” #Angels
 
 
 
 
 
Congrats to the Shoemaker family from everyone at Angelswin.com!

To many it was a big deal.  As long as the team name "Angels" was retained, Arte could have chosen the "Intergalactic Angels" and I would sleep just as well.

By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
Since becoming a baseball fan, I’ve always loved following the Minor Leagues. It’s just one more dimension to the game that adds hope for the future. There’s always that guy down on the farm, who maybe, just maybe, can be the one to put our team over the top.
In 2005, I went out to see the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Angels Single-A affiliate at the time. There was some talent on that team, and I wanted to see if they were really that good. This was before I started writing for AngelsWin.com, so I went out with some friends to see those players in person.
One of the guys I really wanted to see was Howie Kendrick. Since being drafted, Kendrick had torn the cover off of baseballs. So, in 2005, I wanted to see for myself just how good he was.
He was that good.
After seeing him play, I knew he would be a good player for the Angels. There’s just something about a player, especially in the Minor Leagues, that makes him standout amongst his peers. Kendrick stood out.
The first time I met Howie was sometime in 2007. The Angels were in town, it was early in the season. My wife had sent me to the store to get some items for the home. And, to make the trip more fun, I took my infant son with me. He was dressed in his Angels uniform outfit and we were having a good time together.
While I was standing by some milk, I heard a man say “Nice outfit,” as he pointed to my son. 
I turned to see who it was, and it was Howie Kendrick. I said “Good game last night.” 
He said “Thanks!” We shook hands and parted ways.
This was still before I started writing for AngelsWin.com. He was just a player talking with a fan.
When I finally made it into the clubhouse, one of the first people I talked with was Howie Kendrick. He was polite and friendly, even though he was very busy at the time.
With AngelsWin.com, Howie has always been a class act. It’s not easy dealing with the media on a daily basis and answering every reporter’s questions. I can only imagine the grind of dealing like that on a daily basis. 
However, every time I’ve been on the field or in the clubhouse, he’s always said “hello”. I’ve seen him signing plenty of items for fans. I’ve seen him participating in several charity events, including Eddie Guardado’s Stars & Strikes that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for children with autism.
He’s a class act.
One of the things about Howie is just how steady he has been manning second base for the Angels. Year in and year out, he’s doing his job. According to Baseball Reference, he’s generated 27.6 WAR in his 9 years as an Angel. That’s an average over 3 per year. Steady, solid production.
Howie’s done that, all while batting in many places in the lineup. Last year, when Hamilton wasn’t producing, he became our cleanup hitter. In previous years, when the top of the lineup needed help, Howie batted second. He never complained, never whined to the media. He just went out there and gave us 100%, and put up solid, steady production. 
Even when he was traded, he took to time to thank us, the fans, for the time he spent with the Angels.
A class act.
Sometimes I think Howie suffered from the unrealistic projections made by others about him. Sure, he showed strong potential, and was hyped—maybe even overhyped—and some fans have criticized him for not living up to that hype. But, when we look at his numbers, and the way he went about his game, he had a very good career with the Angels. 
It’s often easiest to overlook the quiet production of a player like Howie. Until viewed in totality, it’s easy to forget just how much he contributed. As an Angel, Howie ranks 5th overall in doubles. He ranks 6th all-time in Hits and ABs. In fact, he ranks in the Top-10 for several offensive categories. And that’s for all-time Angels. Every team could use a player like Howie—which is why he ultimately got traded. 
As an Angels fan, I really like the trade that we made to get Andrew Heaney. In the long run, this is a good move for our team. The Angels get younger, and many more years of a top starter in exchange for Howie’s last year on his contract. You have to give talent to get talent, and Howie is definitely a talent. My friend Randy, a Pirates fan, has always wanted us to trade Howie to his team, but never was willing to see his team pay the price it would take to get him. It’s easy to see how valuable Howie was to the Angels by seeing what the Dodgers were willing to give up to get just 1 year of his services.
The Angels have the depth to fill his position internally. I like Grant Green, and would like to see what he can do with the opportunity. He has a capable bat, and for the first time in a while can focus on just one position defensively. I think he will do well. But, I’m willing to bet that there will be times when we all will be missing the steady presence that Howie provided in the position.
Like all Angels fans, it’s in my blood to dislike the Dodgers. Baseball needs heroes and villains, and, when the Dodgers come to our stadium, they wear the black hats. You always “boo” the guys in the black hats.
But, there’s one player on their team I will never boo—that’s Howie Kendrick. He's a class act.

View the full article

Howie,
Thank you for the memories. You busted your ass for the Angels and you were great with the fans. You're a class act, and even though you're going to a team I hate, I wish you the best.
Respectfully,
Angels Fans Everywhere

Little sad to see Howie go.

I never understood why nobody likes the Big A.  Sure its not the fanciest ball park, its not located in a city with an actual nightlife, the surrounding area is super boring and its not exactly state of the art (it just now started using wifi).  But its still a good looking stadium, its easily accessible (unlike LA based venues), the scenery inside the ballpark is great (the rockpile and waterfall), and its a comfortable atmosphere to watch the game.  I personally think its a great stadium. 
 
Now if they would just get rid of that awful buttercup song.